← Skin Anarchy
Skin Anarchy
Pioneering Protocol-Based Solutions for Skin Longevity Featuring 111SKIN Founders Dr. Yannis Alexandrides and Eva Alexandridis
00:26:29
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- [00:02]
A
Hey, guys, welcome back to Skin Anarchy. I am so excited about this episode because we are interviewing two people that I really, really hold in such high regards. I am one of their biggest fans and especially the beautiful line that they've created that has come out of such a scientifically grounded place and it has really taken over the world. So without further ado, Please welcome back Dr. Giannis Alexander and his wife, Eva Alexander. Welcome back, you guys. I'm so excited to host both of you.
- [00:29]
B
Thank you for inviting us back. It's really a big pleasure to have this opportunity to talk again and discuss various very interesting topics you sent us about.
- [00:41]
A
Yeah, I'm really excited that eva's with us, Dr. Yannis, because last time it was you and I and we were discussing, you know, a lot of things. But I'm glad, Eva, you're back. It's so good.
- [00:51]
C
I'm so happy to be back with both of you. It doesn't happen very often that I'm in the same conversation with my husband, so this should be an exciting one.
- [00:59]
A
Yes, absolutely. I can't wait to dive in. And, you know, I think for our listeners, the first time, if you guys remember, all of you listening out there, the first time we interviewed Dr. Giannis Neva, we were talking about how much of a big hand Eva that you played when it came to creating the masks, the viral masks and One on One's lineup. And it's such a cool place to start. You know, obviously I want to talk about Dr. Jones, the practice, but also, can we start from this idea of, like, how everything that you guys have created, created in the 1:1:1 skin line and the skincare line has come from your practice. Like, I would love for you to talk about that, Dr. Yanis. Like, what made you want to create a line? You know, where was that turning point where you said I need to turn this into like a consumer facing skincare line?
- [01:45]
B
Well, actually, it didn't start like that. When I started doing research into skincare, it was the beginning of my practice in Harley Street. It was around 2005 when I was looking for products that can help my patients heal after surgery. And especially as I perform a lot of facelifts, neck lifts, and facial procedures in general, a lot of my patients are really about quicker healing, better healing, scars that disappear as much as possible and so on. And clearly there was not a good skincare around to provide me the support I needed for my patients. So I decided to do my own research together with a team of scientists that I gathered around Me. And together we found the best ingredients we could in order to accelerate healing after surgery. So the first step was really to create a dramatic healing serum, the product I still use in my clinic at 111-harley street in London for all my patients. And then the rest happened on its own. My patients showed me the way. The patients explained to me how much better the skin felt after using the serum. And a lot of them continue healing, using the product for a long time, longer than what healing after surgery required. So when I really looked into that and I asked them, it was because they saw the difference that the serum provided to the skin overall and the rejuvenating effect, the clarity of the skin. And that gave me the idea to really create a line of products that would be based on the same formula but for everyday use.
- [03:18]
A
Yeah, no, this is actually brilliant because I think when I first discovered one on One skin, I think that was the first time for me as a consumer consumer that I felt that the technicality of plastic surgery was really being translated in a way for like, over the counter products that were usable every day for routine maintenance. That was, for me as a consumer, the first time, you know, and so this idea really resonated, right, because it's like we think about aesthetics and then we think about over the counter products. You know, we never think about what's going on in that synergy in that world in between. And so I think that's where I find it to be such a unique viewpoint that you've introduced into to this industry where people are, you know, you can, obviously, you can get your procedures done, you can have the best surgeon, but if you don't do that maintenance work at home, that's a disservice to you, you know, and all of the. The work that's being done by the surgeon as well. So I would love for, you know, Eva, maybe you can chime in here about this, you know, this experience that I think a lot of women go through. This especially, like, everything can't just be the surgical procedure, right? It has to be like a blend. What are your thoughts on that?
- [04:26]
C
Yeah, I mean, this is very much taking us back to the origin of how One Laurent skin started, because for us was never just about quick fixes. We wanted to make sure that skin heals faster after surgery, but it's continuously healthy. So the potential was in the science, the integrity of the formula and the idea that if you treat skin with the same seriousness as Yannis treats his patients during surgery, you can fundamentally change how the skin Behaves. I'm so glad that you fully understand that because not everybody starts with the same premise because for us was long term health of the skin. And I think what we added in addition to that to the beauty world and the beauty industry is that we wanted the products to be high integrity, but also to be beautiful on applications and sorial. So Yanife's patients would fall in love with the product long term, not just with the science.
- [05:19]
A
Yeah, no, I mean, I think it really shows as well in the quality of the products. And that's something I wanted to bring up, you know, and discuss because, Dr. Dennis, I mean, I think everybody knows, you know, one on one skin, it's a true reflection of the precision that you bring in your practice. And I want to ask both of you, you know, when you were creating the line, and obviously now that it's expanding so much when it comes to quality, because every product that you guys come out with is heavy hitting. You know, it's a really solid product and it's the best quality. How do you maintain that? Like, what is the research process for both of you when you're coming up with the concept, you're coming up with, how are we going to approach creating this product? What are behind behind the scenes there?
- [05:58]
B
Well, I think the first thing is the mindset. So from the beginning, one on my skin was about science, was about transformative results. And as Eva said, when I focus on a patient, when I plan a surgery, I try to give my best, I try to make the result as good as I can. And the same philosophy goes into my products. And the same philosophy is transpired into the team that we have to create these products with me. So the process starts usually and most of the times in my clinic by testing the products in real patients, patients who will give us honest feedback and we will be able to measure the results. And only if we have a product that really hits a satisfactory and very effective effect, then we will proceed in the next level where we do proper clinical studies and we do clinical studies in all our products in order to prove what results they deliver. So it's very thorough and sometimes I would say difficult process, but it does provide high quality skincare and skincare that has targeted solutions.
- [07:02]
A
Right.
- [07:03]
C
I mean, if I can add for us, every formula is created to solve a real skin problem. They are not products that kind of one product fits all. We have very specific, we have a range that is for long term healing of the skin. We have our blood diamond range that focuses on very targeted solutions and These are problems that we have seen in the clinic. But what we do slightly differently is that we are testing them for a long time so they fit the criteria of expertise of Yannis, but also the safety criteria. You know, sometimes it takes us years to produce a product. And a perfect example is we recently launched Exosome product. Yannis has been using exosomes for more than four years now in his clinic. And we only launched Exozone product on the retail environment one year ago because we wanted to make sure. He wanted to make sure that he understands the efficacy, the safety. He's fully immersed into what exosomes do, but also has the long term data in order to create a retail product. And if he didn't pass all his criteria, it would have stayed only as a at clinic product, right?
- [08:07]
A
No, I love the Exosome product that you have come out with. I think that is, it's so good to see you come out with it, you know, because exosomes are such a gray area right now in the world of skin care. And I think a lot of consumers get very confused about the use of exosomes and the way that the product is for everyone listening. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a protocol based product. So it's four weeks of protocol. And I think, doctor, that's brilliant that you made it like that. Because I feel like the products that are super biotech these days, they come out and they say indefinitely use this product. You know what I mean? Like there's no guidelines, there's no instructions. Like what made you create this as a protocol?
- [08:44]
B
Well, it is a protocol because it's an intensive treatment. It's something that you shouldn't need everyday basis. It's not like a vitamin C kind of product where you need it every day. Exosomes are small particles that cells produce in order to communicate with each other. And we have harvest the best of them in order to promote collagen production into the cells. So they give specific messages that activate the skin. And I believe that this activation in a similar way we do it in the clinic, which is in a treatment and not continuous provision. The same stands for skin care and depends on the condition of the skin. Of course, for some people once a year might be enough. For other people it can be a little more frequent. You can use it every three months. But definitely I believe that the skin needs this product not on a continuous basis.
- [09:36]
A
Right. I think that idea is very novel and I think that there's a lot that can be learned from this idea of creating a true protocol, if you're using something that is so bioactive and something that is meant for true targeted regenerative medicine purposes. I mean, regenerative medicine intersecting with the world of aesthetics, that is the future of skincare. Right. I mean, that's the. That's the next gen stuff. And I think when we approach that skincare, it has to be different. You know, it has to be a different kind of mindset that consumers have. So this is very refreshing to see a product like this on the market.
- [10:07]
C
Thank you so much. I love what you said. And for us, this product is very much about supporting the skin's intelligence, not overriding it. And that's why you would see that it's a protocol which contains two products. And for us, we want to make sure that we are offering you something that is super cohesive. So the first product has microspicules, and they allow the exosomes to penetrate. But there needs to be a second product, which is a healing mask that sits on top of the first product in order for us to allow us to create the first product to be super potent and then to have a healing agent on top that is making the skin repair itself. So it's a very, very serious combination of ingredients that are very thoughtful, and they're borrowed from treatments that Janis does in the clinic. We would not have launched an exosome product if we didn't know that we want to create something super effective as a treatment.
- [11:02]
A
Right. And it's a beautiful product. I've been using it. And you almost immediate results, like, if you use it, actually, you're very, you know, good about using it. It's wonderful. It's a wonderful product.
- [11:12]
C
The amount of people that text me after using it for two to three days to say, this product is revolutionary. And I always tell them, keep using it. This is meant to be used for 30 days. This is not an overnight sensation, even if it feels like it. Also, people sometimes forget that products are created to be used certain time, and the clinical studies are done after certain time. So, yes, we love the results after day one, two, or three, but ultimately, the best would happen after continuous use for 30 days.
- [11:40]
A
Absolutely. I want to actually circle back. Dr. Yanis, if you could talk to us a little bit more about the plastic surgery side, because I know that deep plane facelifts have kind of taken off recently. There's a lot of buzz in the industry about understanding facelifts. And, you know, you pioneered the Y facelift technique. So can you speak to us a little bit about how this technique addresses age related volume loss, skin laxity in a way that other techniques did it in the past.
- [12:08]
B
Absolutely. Well, this surge of the wave, I should say, of deep plane face lifting, neck lifting and all started approximately five years ago, and it's gaining momentum. And this year, it was, I think, a watershed moment when famous people went out there and admitted that they had a facelift. And it has completely change the landscape for facelifting, changing the scope of it into something that is natural looking, something that gives very pleasant results with minimal scarring and a result that actually can be addressed not just for people who have age a lot, but also for a younger group of people who have maybe just started seeing some aging signs and they want to prevent them from becoming deeper. So the deep plane technique is different from the other techniques we we have used in facelifts because they rely on working in a layer of the face that allows us to release the ligaments that hold our face and our muscle tied down. And those are the ligaments that would not allow us in other techniques to free the elements. We need to lift and reposition in a higher position and create nice contours and very defined jawlines and high cheekbo and very sculpted faces. And by doing that in a deeper layer, we don't need to put pressure on the skin or tension on the skin, which means scars heal very well and they look natural.
- [13:39]
A
That's so fascinating. I mean, and also, like, I'm curious, what are your thoughts on this idea of, you know, now consumers are getting younger and younger when they opt in for something like a facelift? You know, I think a lot of times on social media, I see a lot of, you know, even in their late 20s, people are talking about, I want to get a facelift. You know, I want to do something that's going to be a permanent fit. What are your thoughts on that and the use of a facelift as like a preventative measure. What is the science of that?
- [14:07]
B
Well, understanding the anatomy of the face and understanding how you can best use it to elevate the face allows plastic surgeons to develop a wide variety of techniques that could be applied for different problems. And when we're talking about facelifts, we're talking about a huge list of different techniques that we can incorporate, which allow us, especially with the advent of minimally invasive techniques, to use it in younger people and people who just have not a massive aging process yet, but some early signs of aging. And this is something that, of course, only a plastic surgeon, according to his training and to his expertise can advise a person to do. But using different techniques can be applied into younger patients when we don't need to have an extensive aging sign in order to go and intervene and make it look better. And the advantage of that is also the changes, although they are very significant, they're not a natural looking because in the old times, we would wait for someone to really start developing heavy jowling and deep nasolabial folds and a lot of skin laxity and maybe be 60, 65 before undergoing a facelift. And the result, although it would be very traumatic, it would be also strange. And people realize that they prefer instead of aging, staying at a certain age, that they look youthful and they look natural without going that aging cycle.
- [15:33]
A
Right.
- [15:33]
C
Yeah.
- [15:34]
A
This is very fascinating for me, I think the world, the way that the world of aesthetics is changing, it's very intriguing. Right, Because I mean. And Eva, you know, maybe you can speak on this a little bit, because I. I feel like now is a time where, you know, with the skincare side of things, people are almost expecting these aesthetic level results. Right? I mean, have you seen that on social media? I've seen it everywhere where people are like, well, this is the same thing as a filler. This is the same thing as a facelift. And I'm like, how? How could we do that?
- [16:03]
C
You know? I know. I completely agree with you. For me, the intersection between advanced cosmetic procedures and skincare innovation is really the most meaningful progress happens. But it's also where a lot of misunderstanding exists because I think people have unreasonable expectations of what they want to achieve. And for us, it's almost the opposite. Where Yanis is a plastic surgeon, he does transformative results, but he has to educate people that in order to have the best result, you need to come to him with good quality of skin. So he educates all of his patients to use proper healing products before surgery and after surgery in order to have their skin strong, balanced and healthy, in order to respond and have the best possible results. But I think that's where for us, for example, Exosome is a good example. This is a procedure that gives phenomenal effects if it's used in the office. We use it with Potenza and microneedling, and you see really strong results post procedure. But we needed to take our time and understand if Exosomes really can work in a retail product. And it took us three years to determine that. But there are other products which we have tested and we don't want to bring to retail because they're much better used in the office and we haven't found an equivalent that's going to give very, very strong results. So you have to always go with testing safety and properly bring something to market that it's going to make a big difference.
- [17:35]
A
Right? Yeah. No, I couldn't agree with you more. And I'm glad that you took your time to formulate the Exosome, you know, the protocol, because I have seen a lot of products. It's like putting the cart before the horse, you know, and I think that a lot of companies have done that. But it's like you have to understand as consumers, for everyone listening out there, when you're using a regenerative product, when you're using something like Exosomes, you have to know why this is being used and like, what is the purpose and put your money where people have done the research. I try to advocate for this on the podcast because a lot of people, you know, they will email us and ask about things like, well, what, what's a budget friendly Exosome product I can buy? And I'm like, there are none of.
- [18:16]
C
There are none right now. Yeah. And they're not for everyone. I mean, someone with a healthy skin, you know, this is a protocol, as you said, for skin that it's already needs more attention. So skin that has inflammation, that needs resurfacing, it's not. If someone has a healthy skin, they should not be spending money on Exosome products. You know, they can just use a more simple basic product and focus on a simple three step routine. This is a protocol when the skin needs additional attention.
- [18:45]
A
Exactly, exactly. Yeah. It's very important to understand. I want to actually shift gears and Dr. Jones, I want to ask you a little bit about fillers because fillers have dominated the aesthetic industry for many, many years, you know, and now I think we're starting to see a shift a little bit more towards a more permanent solution, more regenerative solutions. Micro grafting comes to mind. Can you explain what micro grafting is and like, why it's gaining so much traction these days?
- [19:11]
B
Micrografting is a technique where we use the patient's own fat cells in a certain shape and size that is used as volumizing and is used also to support the skin and support the healthy function of cells of the skin. So usually the way we perform this technique is we take fat from an area of the body of the patient, either that being the tummy or the thighs or wherever is available in small quantities. It usually requires a separation technique. And different surgeons like different techniques and injecting it immediately after. So the whole key of the procedure is to maintain the cells alive while you inject them in order to continue supporting the skin and living in the new environment. So it's a much better filler. It's the ultimate filler because it comes from the patient's body. And of course because of that it will not go through a rejection process and it looks natural, it doesn't cause lumps, and usually it lasts for years, depending of course on other factors as well as people's lifestyle choices and health profile. So it has become my prevalent and most favorable treatment and I have moved away from fillers.
- [20:25]
A
Yeah, I think that that's very fascinating because fillers were scaring me there for a little bit when I was seeing results, you know, some of the results I was seeing and people who are doing it that are not, not board certified doctors. It was very scary there for a while with fillers. But I'm glad that there is a technique that is for those of you looking for, you know, more permanent solutions, more advanced solutions. This is great. I want to actually talk a little bit about longevity aesthetics and I feel like both of you could really chime in here about this because long, I'm sure you've seen how longevity, the word longevity is now taking off and it's becoming an over umbrella term that's encompassing anti aging, you know, aesthetic medicine, topical solutions. And I'd love to speak on this maybe Dr. Yanis, if you could give us your thoughts. You know, what do you feel that longevity aesthetics really means? If somebody was to do something that was in this realm of kind of this approach, what does it look like?
- [21:22]
B
Well, we, we have reached the area that we live longer and healthier lives. We, we understand that aesthetics need to be applied from an early stage in order to, to be effective. And I think it's the recognition that in order to, instead of living an X amount of years, we live now so many more. We need to take preventative steps in order to achieve a healthy looking appearance, either that being our face, either that being our body. And of course skin is the organ that is predominant in aesthetics. So it's all about what we part, we have discussed so far in this very interesting conversation about preventing aging, but doing it in natural way, in way that alters the health of the skin, rather than in an artificial and intrusive way that potentially can create negative effects such as scarring or inflammation. And there is a new term that we use a lot which is like a refined naturalism that we want to apply to what we do in order to reach this longevity aesthetic.
- [22:28]
C
Sorry to interrupt. I have to fully agree with my husband because for me, this is very much also about how we feel emotionally. And I think for me, longevity values looking like yourself for longer rather than becoming a different version of yourself. And I think we have to be very careful with a lot of the Korean trends and treatments where you see people being completely transformed versus kind of bringing the best possible healthy looking skin and version of yourself. So there is a lot in this dialogue and I think we are responsible. And you know, people like Yanis, for example, that are coming from, from the scientific space also have a duty to make sure that they have this conversation with people, to give them reasonable expectations. And we have to also do the same with skincare. But also clients have to understand that, you know, healthy skin, if you want to maintain healthy skin for longer, that's a ritual that you have to engage on daily basis. But you also have to have a reasonable dialogue with yourself and expect transformation. That it's not reasonable, right?
- [23:36]
A
No. You know, you really hit it on the head. You know, when I see the word longevity, I get a little worried sometimes because I feel like people think longevity means injecting yourself with 15 different peptides. And you know, everyone's talking about, this is my peptide stack, this is my regen stack. That's not it. I don't think that's it at all. And I think exactly what you said is exactly the hallmark where if you are going to South Korea every three months and you're getting nine treatments done at the same time, that's not healthy aging. You know what I mean? Like, I, I'm personally against that. I think it's do whatever is good for you, for all of you listening out there. But I think if you go to somebody who can really explain this to you, you're going to get better results in the long term, you know, rather than just bombarding yourself with all the treatments.
- [24:19]
C
I agree. Looking like yourself for longer, that should be the goal.
- [24:23]
A
Yes, exactly. And so much comes into it too, right? I mean, I think, you know, Dr. Giannis, you incorporate this naturally into your practice where you have these conversations with your patients and you walk your patients through what to expect. But I think a lot of times this gets lost in the practice of medicine where doctors are not talking more with their patients. I mean, what are your thoughts on that in terms of like, just patient education and like what people should expect from their doctor before they're getting any kind of procedure done.
- [24:51]
B
I always believed in 360 approach to aesthetics and to medicine. And this is I think what we have created in one on one heartless. I believe that the duty of a doctor is to really inform the patient about the best practice, of course, at the same time, whatever risk there may be or negative effects, and help them make the right decisions instead of just offering a treatment that maybe prefer at the moment. And it is harder work, of course, and we like to do that as a team. It's not only the doctors, the nurses, the estheticians, everybody who works in the clinic, either directly doing a consultation, but also with newsletters or specific platforms as the one we're having today with you. Which is an excellent way to educate a wide audience of people who are interested in these treatments. But maybe they don't have the time or the finances to go to a doctor.
- [25:47]
A
Right, I agree and I think it's just a very interesting place. We are now in the world of just beauty and aesthetics and just figuring this out. A lot more people I think are now turning away from clean beauty and you know, all of those natural remedies and they're coming towards real science backed options. So I'm very excited, you know, for them, for people to be coming over to this side, the science backside. But thank you both so much as always. It's such a pleasure chatting with both of you and learning from you. I always learn so much in our conversations.
- [26:18]
C
Thank you.
- [26:18]
B
That was really.
- [26:21]
C
Thank you for your time and keep educating people that science leads the way.
- [26:25]
A
Thank you so much, Eva.
- [26:27]
C
Bye, have a great day.
- [26:29]
B
Bye.